JP7226196B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to connectors.

Patent Document 1 discloses a connector having female terminals attached to a female housing and male terminals attached to a male housing. An elastically deformable contact spring is accommodated in the box portion of the female terminal, and the male terminal has a tab. When the female housing and the male housing are mated, the tab is inserted into the box portion and elastically deforms the contact spring, so that the resilience caused by the elastic restoring force of the contact spring exerts a predetermined contact pressure between the female terminal and the male terminal. connected with.

JP 2015-232927 A

When the tab of the male terminal elastically deforms the contact spring, frictional resistance is generated due to the elastic restoring force of the contact spring, and this frictional resistance acts as a fitting resistance between the female housing and the male housing. The mating resistance increases as the number of poles of the female and male terminals increases. As a countermeasure against this problem, a multi-pole connector employs a booster mechanism using a rotating lever. However, if a rotating type lever is used, there arises a problem that the size of the connector is increased by the size of the lever.

The connector of the present disclosure has been perfected based on the circumstances as described above, and aims at miniaturization.

The connector of the present disclosure is
having a first housing and a second housing that can be fitted to each other;
The second housing is configured by assembling a first terminal holding member and a second terminal holding member so as to be relatively displaceable,
The first housing is provided with a restricting portion that allows the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member and restricts the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member,
The first terminal holding member is provided with a restriction release portion that releases the restriction by the restriction portion after the first terminal holding member starts the fitting operation.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the size of the connector.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which fitting between a first housing and a second housing is started. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the first housing. FIG. 4 is a front view of the second housing. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a first terminal holding member; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second terminal holding member. FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which only the first terminal holding member is properly fitted in the fitting process of the first housing and the second housing. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 11. FIG.

[Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]
First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.
The connector of the present disclosure is
(1) It has a first housing and a second housing that can be fitted to each other, the second housing is configured by assembling a first terminal holding member and a second terminal holding member so as to be relatively displaceable, and 1 housing is provided with a restricting portion that permits the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member and restricts the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member; A restriction release portion is provided for releasing the restriction by the restriction portion after the one-terminal holding member starts the fitting operation.

According to the configuration of the present disclosure, in the initial period of mating of the first housing and the second housing, the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member is restricted by the restricting portion, and the fitting resistance is between the first housing and the first terminal holding member. occurs only between In the latter half of the mating operation of the first housing and the second housing, the regulation of the fitting operation with respect to the second terminal holding member is released by the restriction releasing portion, the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member is performed, and the first housing and the second housing are engaged with each other. A fitting resistance is generated between the two-terminal holding member. Since the first terminal holding member and the second terminal holding member start to be fitted at different timings, the fitting resistance is lower than when the first terminal holding member and the second terminal holding member start to be fitted at the same time. is reduced. According to the connector of the present disclosure, since a boosting mechanism using a lever is not required, miniaturization can be achieved.

(2) It is preferable that the restriction release portion is arranged at a position where the restriction of the restriction portion is released when the first terminal holding member is properly fitted. According to this configuration, the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member can be started when the first terminal holding member is properly fitted. According to the present disclosure, the second terminal holding member exhibits the function of detecting the fitted state of the first terminal holding member.

(3) It is preferable that the first terminal holding member has an accommodating space for accommodating the second terminal holding member when the first housing and the second housing are not fitted together. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from interfering with the second terminal holding member.

(4) In (3), when the first terminal holding member is fitted in a state in which the second terminal holding member is restrained from fitting operation, the rear end of the second terminal holding member in the fitting direction It is preferable that the portion is arranged so as to protrude rearward from the first terminal holding member. According to this configuration, after the first terminal holding member is fitted, the second terminal holding member can be fitted by pushing the rear end portion of the second terminal holding member. easy.

(5) The first terminal holding member has a lock arm that engages the first housing and a pair of elastic locking pieces arranged to sandwich the second terminal holding member so as to be aligned in one direction. The lock arm and the pair of elastic locking pieces are arranged in a line in a direction crossing the direction in which the plurality of first terminal receiving chambers are arranged. At least one of the lock arm and the pair of elastic locking pieces is preferably arranged between two adjacent first terminal receiving chambers. According to this configuration, when the first terminal receiving chamber is arranged between the lock arm and the elastic locking piece or between a pair of elastic locking pieces, the second housing is arranged between the lock arm and the elastic locking piece. The size increases in the direction in which the pieces are arranged. However, with the configuration of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the size of the second housing in the direction in which the lock arms and the elastic locking pieces are arranged.

(6) The second terminal holding member has an engaging projection that engages with the first terminal holding member, and the first terminal holding member only when it is attached in the proper orientation with respect to the first terminal holding member. and a protrusion that fits into the groove of the member, and the protrusion protrudes from the outer surface of the second terminal holding member in the same direction as the locking protrusion. Since the protruding direction of the projection is the same as that of the locking projection, the size of the second terminal holding member can be reduced compared to the case where the projection protrudes in a direction different from that of the locking projection.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
A first embodiment embodying the connector of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. FIG. The present invention is not limited to these exemplifications, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

The connector of the first embodiment has a male connector M and a female connector F that can be fitted to each other. 1, 2, 9 to 12 is defined as the front, and the front and rear directions of the female connector F are opposite to those of the male connector M. 1, 2, 9-12 is defined as forward. Regarding the vertical direction, the directions appearing in FIGS. 1, 3 to 9 and 11 are defined as upward and downward. Regarding left and right directions, the directions shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8 are defined as left and right.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the male connector M has a synthetic resin first housing 10 and a plurality of male terminal fittings 18 attached to the first housing 10 . The first housing 10 is a single component having a rectangular housing main body portion 11 and a hood portion 12 projecting forward from the front surface of the housing main body portion 11 in the shape of a rectangular tube. As shown in FIG. 3, eight cavities 13 and 14 are formed inside the housing body 11 . A male terminal fitting 18 fixed to the electric wire W is inserted into each of the cavities 13 and 14 from the rear of the first housing 10 . A tab 19 of each male terminal fitting 18 protrudes into the hood portion 12 from the front surface of the housing body portion 11 .

The four first cavities 13 out of the eight cavities 13 and 14 are arranged in a row at the same height in the left-right direction at the upper end of the housing. The four first cavities 13 are divided into two on the left and two on the right, respectively, and arranged at both the left and right ends of the housing main body 11 . The four second cavities 14 out of the eight cavities 13 and 14 are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction at a height lower than the vertical center of the housing main body 11 at regular intervals. The interval between the left and right adjacent second cavities 14 is smaller than the width dimension of one second cavity 14 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first housing 10 is formed with a locking portion 15 . The lock portion 15 is formed to protrude downward (toward the inside of the hood portion 12) from the front end portion of the upper wall portion that constitutes the hood portion 12. As shown in FIG. The lock portion 15 is arranged in the central portion of the hood portion 12 in the left-right direction. In other words, the locking portion 15 is arranged between the pair of left first cavities 13 and the pair of right first cavities 13 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the four first cavities 13 and the locking portions 15 are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction at the same height.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first housing 10 is integrally formed with a pair of symmetrical restricting portions 16 . The pair of restricting portions 16 protrude obliquely forward from both left and right end portions of the front surface of the housing main body portion 11 (rear end surface of the receptacle portion 12). The pair of restricting portions 16 are at the same height as the second cavities 14 and are arranged so as to sandwich the four second cavities 14 from the left and right. Each restricting portion 16 is elastically deformable in the lateral direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first housing 10 is formed with a pair of upper and lower unlocking portions 17 . The pair of unlocking portions 17 protrude forward from the front end surface of the housing in a cantilevered manner. The projecting direction of the unlocking portion 17 is parallel to the fitting direction of the male connector M and the female connector F. As shown in FIG. The pair of unlocking portions 17 are arranged in the central portion of the housing body portion 11 in the left-right direction, and are arranged separately above and below the second cavity 14 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the female connector F has a second housing 20 and eight female terminal fittings 37 attached to the second housing 20 . The second housing 20 is configured by assembling first terminal holding members 21 made of synthetic resin and second terminal holding members 32 made of synthetic resin, which are separate parts from the first terminal holding members 21 . .

The first terminal retaining member 21 is a single piece. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the first terminal holding member 21 has four first terminal receiving chambers 22 formed therein. The first terminal receiving chambers 22 are arranged in a row at the same height in the left-right direction at the upper end portion of the first terminal holding member 21 . The four first terminal receiving chambers 22 are divided into left and right two, and are arranged at both left and right end portions of the first terminal holding member 21 . In a state in which the male connector M and the female connector F are fitted together, the four first terminal receiving chambers 22 and the four first cavities 13 are positioned to face each other in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 6 , female terminal fittings 37 fixed to wires W are inserted into the respective first terminal accommodating chambers 22 from behind the first terminal holding member 21 . The female terminal fitting 37 has an elastic contact piece 38 that is elastically deformable.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the first terminal holding member 21 is formed with a lock arm 23 for locking the male connector M and the female connector F in a fitted state. The lock arm 23 extends rearward in a cantilevered manner, and can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction (the direction intersecting with the mating direction of the male connector M and the female connector F). A locking projection 24 that can be engaged with the locking portion 15 is formed on the upper surface of the locking arm 23 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the lock arm 23 is arranged at the center of the first terminal holding member 21 in the horizontal direction at the same height as the first terminal receiving chamber 22 . In other words, the lock arm 23 is arranged between the pair of left first terminal accommodating chambers 22 and the pair of right first terminal accommodating chambers 22 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the four first terminal receiving chambers 22 and the lock arms 23 are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction at the same height.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first terminal holding member 21 is formed with a housing space 25 extending through the first terminal holding member 21 in the front-rear direction. The housing space 25 is a horizontally long rectangular space when viewed from the front, and is arranged below the four first terminal housing chambers 22 . In a state where the male connector M and the female connector F are fitted together, the accommodation space 25 has a positional relationship in which the four second cavities 14 face each other.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7, the first terminal holding member 21 is formed with a pair of symmetric relief recesses 26 . The pair of relief recesses 26 are formed by notching regions of the front end portions of the left and right outer wall portions of the first terminal holding member 21 where the accommodation spaces 25 are formed in the vertical direction. A front end portion of the internal space of the accommodation space 25 is open to the outer surface of the first terminal holding member 21 via the escape recess 26 .

A pair of symmetrical restriction release portions 27 are formed integrally with the first terminal holding member 21 . The pair of restriction releasing portions 27 are elongated in the front-rear direction and are arranged at both left and right ends of the housing space 25 . A rear end region of the deregulation portion 27 is connected to the accommodation space 25 and protrudes from both the left and right inner surfaces of the accommodation space 25 in a rib shape. A front end region of the regulation releasing portion 27 protrudes forward in a cantilevered manner from the inner surface of the accommodation space 25 and is arranged to face the escape recess 26 .

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, the first terminal holding member 21 is inserted through the first terminal holding member 21 in the front-rear direction (the direction parallel to the mating direction of the male connector M and the female connector F). A pair of vertically symmetrical die-cutting spaces 28 are formed. As shown in FIG. 4 , the pair of die-cut spaces 28 are arranged in the center of the first terminal holding member 21 in the left-right direction. In other words, the die-cut space 28 is arranged at the same position as the lock arm 23 in the left-right direction. The dimension in the left-right direction of the pair of die-cutting spaces 28 is smaller than the dimension in the left-right direction of the housing space 25 . As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of die-cutting spaces 28 communicate with the housing space 25 over the entire length from the front end to the rear end.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, a pair of vertically symmetrical elastic locking pieces 29 are individually provided in the pair of die-cut spaces 28 . The elastic locking piece 29 extends obliquely forward in a cantilevered manner from the inner surface of the die-cut space 28 opposite to the housing space 25 , and is formed integrally with the first terminal holding member 21 . It is The elastic locking piece 29 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction (the direction intersecting with the fitting direction of the male connector M and the female connector F).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of symmetrical grooves 30 are formed in the first terminal holding member 21 . The groove portion 30 is elongated in the front-rear direction. A front end portion of the groove portion 30 functions as a front stop portion 31 . A rear end of the groove portion 30 opens to a rear end surface of the first terminal holding member 21 . The groove portion 30 opens to the lower surface of the upper and lower inner surfaces of the housing space 25 on the side opposite to the first terminal housing chamber 22 in the vertical direction. In the left-right direction, the groove portion 30 is arranged between the inner surface of the housing space 25 and the lower die-cutting space 28 .

The second terminal holding member 32 is a single component made of synthetic resin material. As shown in FIG. 8, the second terminal holding member 32 has a rectangular shape whose height dimension is small relative to the front-rear and left-right dimensions. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the second terminal holding member 32 is formed with four elongated second terminal receiving chambers 33 in the front-rear direction. The four second terminal receiving chambers 33 are arranged side by side at a constant pitch in the left-right direction. In a state where the male connector M and the female connector F are fitted together, the four terminal receiving chambers and the four second cavities 14 are positioned to face each other in the front-rear direction. A female terminal metal fitting 37 fixed to the electric wire W is inserted into each of the second terminal accommodating chambers 33 from behind the second terminal holding member 32 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, two regulating projections 34 are formed on the left outer surface and the right outer surface of the second terminal holding member 32 so as to be vertically spaced apart from each other. there is The restricting protrusion 34 is arranged at the front end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 . Before the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are mated, one restricting portion 16 of the first housing 10 faces two vertically aligned restricting projections 34 and abuts against the two restricting projections 34. It's becoming In the process of assembling the second terminal holding member 32 to the first terminal holding member 21 and fitting the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 together, one regulation release portion 27 of the first terminal holding member 21 is separated from two regulation portions. It enters between the protrusions 34 and is relatively displaced in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, two locking protrusions 35 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the second terminal holding member 32, respectively, so as to be spaced apart in the left-right direction. The locking projection 35 is arranged at the front end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 . When the second terminal holding member 32 is assembled to the first terminal holding member 21, one elastic locking piece 29 of the first terminal holding member 21 abuts on the two locking projections 35 arranged side by side from behind. It is designed to be obtained. In the process of fitting the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 together, one unlocking portion 17 of the first housing 10 enters between the two locking projections 35 arranged side by side and is relatively displaced in the front-rear direction. It is possible to

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the second terminal holding member 32 is formed with a pair of bilaterally symmetric projections 36 . The pair of protrusions 36 are elongated in the front-rear direction (direction parallel to the fitting direction of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 ), and protrude from the lower surface of the second terminal holding member 32 . The projecting direction of the pair of projecting portions 36 from the second terminal holding member 32 is the same as the projecting direction of the two left and right locking projections 35 on the lower side.

When assembling the first terminal holding member 21 and the second terminal holding member 32, the second terminal holding member 32 is inserted into the housing space 25 from behind the first terminal holding member 21, and the pair of protrusions 36 enter the pair of grooves 30 . In the state where the first terminal holding member 21 and the second terminal holding member 32 are assembled, as shown in FIG. The forward relative displacement of the second terminal holding member 32 with respect to the one terminal holding member 21 is restricted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 , the pair of upper and lower elastic locking pieces 29 are locked to the locking projections 35 from behind, thereby preventing the second terminal holding member 32 from rearward relative to the first terminal holding member 21 . Displacement is regulated. When the elastic locking piece 29 is elastically deformed and disengaged from the locking projection 35 , the second terminal holding member 32 slides against the inner surface of the accommodation space 25 and moves backward (towards the first housing 10 ) with respect to the first terminal holding member 21 . (direction parallel to the fitting direction of the second housing 20). In other words, by disengaging the elastic locking piece 29 from the locking projection 35 , the first terminal holding member 21 can move forward relative to the second terminal holding member 32 .

When the second terminal holding members 32 are attached to the first terminal holding members 21 as described above, assembly of the second housing 20 is completed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when both terminal holding members 21 and 32 are assembled, the front end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 does not protrude from the front end surface of the first terminal holding member 21, and the second terminal holding member The rear end portion 32 does not protrude from the rear end surface of the first terminal holding member 21 . That is, the entire second terminal holding member 32 is accommodated in the accommodation space 25 (inside the first terminal holding member 21). The front end surface of the second terminal holding member 32 is exposed flush with the front end surface of the first terminal holding member 21 , and the rear end surface of the second terminal holding member 32 is flush with the rear end surface of the first terminal holding member 21 . exposed in one piece. As shown in FIG. 2 , both the left and right outer side surfaces of the front end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 and the restricting protrusion 34 are exposed to the outer side surface of the first terminal holding member 21 at the escape recess 26 .

When assembling the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 , the first terminal holding member 21 is held and the second housing 20 is inserted into the receptacle 12 . During the insertion, the unlocking portion 17 of the first housing 10 enters between the two locking projections 35 aligned on the left and right in a state in which the tabs 19 of all the male terminal fittings 18 do not contact the female terminal fittings 37. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the elastic locking piece 29 is elastically deformed in a direction away from the second terminal holding member 32 . The elastically deformed elastic locking piece 29 is disengaged from the locking projection 35 . When the elastic locking piece 29 is disengaged from the locking projection 35 , the first terminal holding member 21 can be displaced forward relative to the second terminal holding member 32 .

Immediately after the elastic locking piece 29 is disengaged from the locking projection 35, as shown in FIG. are regulated in the fitting operation with respect to the first housing 10 . Therefore, when the first terminal holding member 21 is pinched and pushed toward the first housing 10 during the fitting operation, the second terminal holding member 32 remains stopped and only the first terminal holding member 21 is pulled into the hood. Enter the part 12.

As the fitting of the first terminal holding member 21 progresses, the elastic contact piece 38 of the female terminal fitting 37 attached to the first terminal holding member 21 is elastically moved against the tab 19 of the male terminal fitting 18 . Contact. As a result, fitting resistance due to friction between the elastic contact piece 38 and the tab 19 is generated between the first terminal holding member 21 and the first housing 10 . The fitting resistance caused by the elastic contact between the female terminal fitting 37 and the male terminal fitting 18 of the first terminal holding member 21 reaches its maximum (peak) when the contact between the tab 19 and the elastic contact piece 38 starts. After that, the mating resistance changes at a relatively low value.

When the first terminal holding member 21 abuts against the rear end surface of the receptacle 12, the first terminal holding member 21 and the first housing 10 are properly fitted as shown in FIG. In the properly fitted state, the lock projection 24 of the lock arm 23 engages with the lock portion 15 of the first housing 10, thereby locking the first terminal holding member 21 and the first housing 10 in a detachment restricted state. Further, since the second terminal holding member 32 is still restrained from the fitting operation, the rear end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 protrudes rearward from the first terminal holding member 21 .

When the first terminal holding member 21 is in the properly fitted state, as shown in FIG. dissociates from the restricting protrusion 34 . When the restricting portion 16 is disengaged from the restricting protrusion 34 , the restriction by the restricting portion 16 is released and the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member 32 to the first housing 10 is permitted. Therefore, the operator can remove the finger from the first terminal holding member 21 and press the rear end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 toward the first housing 10 to complete the fitting of the second terminal holding member 32 . can be started. The timing at which the regulation of the regulation portion 16 is released is after the peak of the fitting resistance of the first terminal holding member 21 has passed.

When the second terminal holding member 32 starts to be fitted, the elastic contact piece 38 of the female terminal fitting 37 attached to the second terminal holding member 32 elastically contacts the tab 19 of the male terminal fitting 18 . . As a result, fitting resistance due to friction between the elastic contact piece 38 and the tab 19 is generated between the second terminal holding member 32 and the first housing 10 . Since the number of female terminal fittings 37 attached to the second terminal holding member 32 and the number of female terminal fittings 37 attached to the first terminal holding member 21 are the same, the fitting of the second terminal holding member 32 is The maximum value of the mating resistance that occurs when the first terminal holding member 21 is mated is the same as the maximum value of the mating resistance that occurs when the first terminal holding member 21 is mated.

The fitting resistance caused by the elastic contact between the female terminal fitting 37 and the male terminal fitting 18 of the second terminal holding member 32 reaches its maximum (peak) when the contact between the tab 19 and the elastic contact piece 38 starts. becomes. However, at this point, the peak of the fitting resistance generated between the female terminal fitting 37 and the male terminal fitting 18 of the first terminal holding member 21 has passed. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, when the second terminal holding member 32 abuts against the rear end surface of the receptacle 12, the fitting of the second terminal holding member 32 is completed, and the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are connected. Mating is completed.

As described above, when the first terminal holding member 21 reaches the proper fitting state, the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member 32 becomes possible. In the half-fitted state in which the first terminal holding member 21 is not properly fitted, the regulation release portion 27 does not elastically deform the regulation portion 16, or the elastic deformation amount of the regulation portion 16 is small. remains locked to the regulating projection 34 . In other words, the second terminal holding member 32 is still in a state in which the fitting operation is restricted. can't. Therefore, the fitted state of the first terminal holding member 21 can be detected based on whether or not the second terminal holding member 32 can be fitted.

The connector of Example 1 has a first housing 10 and a second housing 20 that can be fitted to each other. The second housing 20 is configured by assembling a first terminal holding member 21 and a second terminal holding member 32 so as to be relatively displaceable. The direction of relative displacement between the first terminal holding member 21 and the second terminal holding member 32 is parallel to the fitting direction of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 . The first housing 10 is provided with a restriction portion 16 that allows the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member 21 and restricts the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member 32 . The first terminal holding member 21 is provided with a regulation release portion 27 for canceling the regulation by the regulation portion 16 when the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member 21 is started (the first terminal holding member 21 is properly fitted). is provided.

According to this configuration, during the initial period of mating of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, the mating operation of the second terminal holding member 32 is restricted by the restricting portion 16, and the mating resistance is It occurs only between the terminal holding member 21 and the terminal holding member 21 . In the latter half of the fitting operation of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, the restriction on the fitting operation of the second terminal holding members 32 is released by the restriction release portion 27, and the fitting operation of the second terminal holding members 32 is performed. A fitting resistance is generated between the first housing 10 and the second terminal holding member 32 .

In the connector of the first embodiment, the timing of starting the fitting of the first terminal holding member 21 and the second terminal holding member 32 in the fitting process (that is, the timing at which the fitting resistance reaches the maximum value) is made different. Therefore, compared to the case where the first terminal holding member 21 and the second terminal holding member 32 start to be fitted at the same time, the connector of the first embodiment has a reduced peak value (maximum value) of fitting resistance. . Since the connector of the first embodiment does not require a force boosting mechanism using a lever, it can be made compact.

The restriction release portion 27 is arranged at a position where the restriction of the restriction portion 16 is released when the first terminal holding member 21 is properly fitted. According to this configuration, the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member 32 can be started when the first terminal holding member 21 is properly fitted. That is, the second terminal holding member 32 exhibits the function of detecting the fitted state of the first terminal holding member 21 .

A housing space 25 is formed in the first terminal holding member 21 to accommodate the second terminal holding member 32 when the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are not fitted together. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from interfering with the second terminal holding member 32 . Further, when the first terminal holding member 21 is fitted in a state in which the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member 32 is restricted, the rear end portion of the second terminal holding member 32 in the fitting direction does not reach the first terminal. It is arranged so as to protrude rearward of the holding member 21 . According to this configuration, after the first terminal holding member 21 is fitted, the second terminal holding member 32 can be fitted by pushing in the rear end portion of the second terminal holding member 32. Easy to do business.

The first terminal holding member 21 has a lock arm 23 that engages with the first housing 10 and a pair of elastic locking pieces 29 arranged to sandwich the second terminal holding member 32 and arranged side by side in one direction. and a plurality of first terminal receiving chambers 22 . The lock arm 23 and the pair of elastic locking pieces 29 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of first terminal accommodating chambers 22 are arranged (horizontal direction).

In the first terminal holding member 21, when the first terminal receiving chamber 22 is arranged between the lock arm 23 and the elastic locking piece 29 or between the pair of elastic locking pieces 29, the first 2. The size of the housing 20 is increased in the direction in which the lock arms 23 and the elastic locking pieces 29 are arranged (vertical direction). Therefore, in the connector of this embodiment, the lock arm 23 and at least one of the pair of elastic locking pieces 29 (the lock arm 23 ) are arranged between the two adjacent first terminal accommodating chambers 22 . According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the second housing 20 in the direction in which the lock arms 23 and the elastic locking pieces 29 are arranged (vertical direction).

The second terminal holding member 32 has locking projections 35 that lock onto the elastic locking pieces 29 of the first terminal holding member 21 . Similarly, the second terminal holding member 32 has a protrusion 36 that fits into the groove 30 of the first terminal holding member 21 only when it is attached to the first terminal holding member 21 in the correct orientation. The protrusion 36 protrudes from the outer surface of the second terminal holding member 32 in the same direction (downward) as the locking protrusion 35 on the lower side. In the connector of the present embodiment, the projecting portion 36 protrudes in the same direction as the locking projection 35. Therefore, compared to the case where the projecting portion 36 projects in a direction different from that of the locking projection 35, the second terminal holding member 32 can be Miniaturization can be achieved.

[Other embodiments]
The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated by the above description and drawings, but is indicated by the claims. The present invention includes all modifications within the meaning and equivalents of the claims and the scope of the claims, and is intended to include the following embodiments.
In the above embodiment, the restricting portion is formed integrally with the first housing, but the restricting portion may be a part separate from the first housing.
In the above embodiment, the regulation releasing portion is formed integrally with the first terminal holding member, but the regulation releasing portion may be a part separate from the first terminal holding member.
In the above embodiment, the restriction by the restricting portion is released when the first terminal holding member is properly fitted. However, the restriction by the restricting portion is released before the first terminal holding member is properly fitted. You may do so. In this case, it is preferable to release the restriction of the restriction portion after the peak of the fitting resistance of the first terminal holding member has passed.
In the above embodiment, when the first housing and the second housing are not fitted together, the entire second terminal holding member is accommodated in the first terminal holding member. Only part of the second terminal holding member may be accommodated within the first terminal holding member, or the entire second terminal holding member may be exposed to the outside of the first terminal holding member.
In the above embodiment, when the first housing and the second housing are not fitted together, the second terminal holding member is accommodated in the first terminal holding member. At least part of the terminal holding member may be accommodated in the second terminal holding member.
In the above embodiment, the case where the number of poles (the number of male terminal fittings and female terminal fittings) is 8 was explained, but the present invention is also applicable to the case where the number of poles is 7 or less or 9 or more. can.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... First housing 11... Housing body part 12... Hood part 13... First cavity 14... Second cavity 15... Lock part 16... Regulating part 17... Unlocking part 18... Male terminal fitting 19... Tab 20... Second Housing 21 First terminal holding member 22 First terminal accommodating chamber 23 Lock arm 24 Lock projection 25 Accommodating space 26 Relief recess 27 Restriction release portion 28 Die-cut space 29 Elastic locking piece 30 Groove REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 31: Front stopping portion 32: Second terminal holding member 33: Second terminal receiving chamber 34: Regulating projection 35: Locking projection 36: Projecting portion 37: Female terminal fitting 38: Elastic contact piece F: Female connector M: Male Side connector W...Electric wire

Claims (6)

having a first housing and a second housing that can be fitted to each other;
The second housing is configured by assembling a first terminal holding member and a second terminal holding member so as to be relatively displaceable,
The first housing is provided with a restricting portion that allows the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member and restricts the fitting operation of the second terminal holding member,
A connector, wherein the first terminal holding member is provided with a regulation release portion for canceling the regulation by the regulation portion in a state where the fitting operation of the first terminal holding member is started. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the restriction release portion is arranged at a position where the restriction of the restriction portion is released when the first terminal holding member is properly fitted. 3. The first terminal holding member according to claim 1, wherein an accommodation space is formed in the first terminal holding member to accommodate the second terminal holding member when the first housing and the second housing are not fitted together. connector. When the first terminal holding member is fitted in a state where the second terminal holding member is restrained from fitting operation, the rear end in the fitting direction of the second terminal holding member 4. The connector according to claim 3, arranged so as to protrude rearward of the member. The first terminal holding member is
a lock arm that engages with the first housing;
a pair of elastic locking pieces arranged to sandwich the second terminal holding member;
and a plurality of first terminal receiving chambers arranged so as to line up in one direction,
the lock arm and the pair of elastic locking pieces are arranged in a line in a direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of first terminal accommodating chambers are arranged,
5. The lock arm and at least one of the pair of elastic locking pieces are arranged between two adjacent first terminal receiving chambers. connector. The second terminal holding member,
a locking projection that locks onto the first terminal holding member;
and a projecting portion that fits into the groove portion of the first terminal holding member only when it is attached to the first terminal holding member in a regular direction,
6. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the protrusion protrudes from the outer surface of the second terminal holding member in the same direction as the locking protrusion.

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